The war in the Middle East has disrupted the world’s supply of helium. Qatar produces about a third of global helium, but attacks on its gas infrastructure have forced production to stop.

At the same time, Iran is blocking the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest shipping channels, through which Qatar exports both natural gas and helium. Losing 30% of global helium could have major consequences for science, medicine and industry.

Helium is used to cool the superconducting magnets used in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanners, which help diagnose conditions through high-resolution, 3D imaging of human tissues.

Superconducting magnets enable the sustained, intense currents needed for high resolution imaging. A superconductor is a material that conducts electricity with zero resistance (defined as the opposition to current flow in a material).

In order to do this, however, the magnets need to operate at extremely low temperatures.

Helium is the ideal coolant for these magnets because it has the lowest boiling point of any element: -268.9°C. At this temperature or below, helium is liquid and can be used to bathe the magnetic coils used by MRI........

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